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Starting now, I will be giving out a free 100 bit package to anyone who signs up! Sign up and receive your first 100 bits free!! In other news, I've posted the first SIX chapters to my new Digimon FanFiction! You can find this story under the FanFiction section. For reaching our 500th post mark, 50 bits have been awarded to everyone who has posted at least one post since the very first day. Keep yourselves active and updated, there's plenty more exciting things to come! =^_^=

Numbness overtook Matt’s body and he felt he couldn’t move again. His eyes were open, yet he saw nothing.

Is this all just a dream? I’m waking up now, right?

He attempted to blink the darkness away, but failed.

Please wake up, Matt.

“Yes, please wake up already.”

The familiar, harsh voice belonged to Kouji.

“Matt? Are you alright?”

Gabumon’s voice was soft and caring. It was a soothing invitation back to reality.

Matt sat up and blinked away the fuzzy scenery. The group sat around him, waiting for his safe return from unconsciousness. He looked around to find they were all sitting in the middle of a field lined with woods in every direction. The trees had a familiar look about them, and the air was different. Matt breathed in the smells he had smelt before, took in the sights he had seen before, and felt the feelings he had felt before. He was in the Digital World again.

“Um, hello? Are you alive?” Kouji waved his hand in front of Matt’s staring eyes.

“Huh? What?” Matt snapped back from his reminiscing to face his new friend. They were now on a journey to save Matt’s best friend, and he would have to deal with Kouji whether he liked it or not. He would have to settle with calling the boy his friend, for now.

Matt glanced at Agumon and Gabumon, making sure they were both there and alright.

“Are you ok, Matt?” Gabumon was always the one to make sure everyone was safe and unharmed.

“Gabumon.” Matt smiled, “I’m fine, but are you ok?”

“Ya,” Gabumon replied, “I think I broke my horn, though.”

“Aw, nothing a little super glue can’t fix!” Agumon smiled.

Gabumon glared.

Kouji stood up, ready to face this world once again.

“We’d better start now if we ever want to help Tai.”

“Right.” Matt stood up beside Kouji, looking out across the field.

“Where do we go?” Agumon looked back and forth from one side of the field to the other.

Kouji instinctively pulled out his D-Tector, hoping it would give them some kind of direction. The screen was blank and Kouji pressed a couple buttons to try to get it to do something, but nothing happened. He stuffed it back in his pocket and started off in a random direction, not saying a word to anyone.

“Well, let’s hope he knows where he’s going.” Matt huffed as he began following, the Digimon not too far behind.

Maybe he knows where the castle is from the last time he was here? No, he would have had to take care of that too when he saved the world last time. This is a new problem. We’ll have to figure everything out by ourselves.

“Excellent,” Astamon gazed into what looked like an ordinary framed oval mirror hanging in the air in front of him, “The other two have made it. Perfect timing.”

Astamon’s evil cackles were interrupted by Matadormon and Shawujingmon’s arrival.

Astamon abruptly stopped cackling and rolled his eyes.

“What is it now?”

“Would you like us to destroy them?” Matadormon responded.

“No. Let them come to me. I’d like to have some fun before they meet their fate.” An evil grin consumed the demon’s face.

“Yes master.” Shawujingmon bowed and both were gone.

Tai hung from the ceiling, helpless in the claw’s grasp. He noticed the mirror showed his friends walking in a field and anger raged in his heart.

“Matt!!” Tai glared at his captor, “Don’t you dare hurt them!”

“Oh, don’t worry. I won’t hurt them…much!” Astamon took a moment for his queued cackling, then called into the darkness, “Fangmon!! Take care of these fools…”

“As you wish, Master…” Glaring eyes and a smile lined with glimmering, oversized teeth turned in the shadows and disappeared.

XxXxXxX

“I’m tired, guys!” Agumon complained, slumping as he slowly followed Kouji’s lead through the dense forest, “Can we take a break yet?”

“Do you want to find Tai or not?” Kouji snapped, not stopping or even looking back at them.

“Aw, come on. My feet hurt. We’ve been walking for hours! Can’t we just stop for a little bit?” Gabumon joined Agumon in his complaining.

“Look, we can’t get this over with if you guys aren’t even willing to try.” Kouji obviously either wasn’t tired or really wanted to go home. He kept checking his D-Tector for some kind of directions or map.

Matt gritted his teeth, trying to avoid bashing Kouji in the head for talking to the Digimon like that.

“Are you lost?” A random voice crept from the darkness.

“Who’s there!?” Kouji whirled to face the voice, “Show yourself!”

Agumon prepared for a fight. He didn’t particularly trust random voices floating around. Gabumon didn’t either, but he wanted to make friends whenever he could. He figured maybe they could finally rest if someone was willing to help them.

“Don’t be alarmed.” The voice showed itself to be a red fox. He looked harmless, yet his random appearance confused the group. All four of his legs were covered in leather wraps, which looked very uncomfortable. He was about as tall as Gabumon, including his horn.

“I don’t want to fight you. I simply want to help.” The fox’s voice was calm as he stood in front of four stranger’s who were ready for battle if he made a wrong move and presented himself badly.

“And what do you think you can help with??” Kouji didn’t trust the fox one bit.

“Kouji,” Matt interrupted, “We’re never going to get anything done if you’re always yelling at people.”

“Ya really,” Gabumon whispered to Agumon, who nodded in agreement.

“I know about what is happening here in the Digital World. I can help you find your friend. I can show you the way to the castle.” The fox seemed friendly enough, and his expression looked as if he truly wanted to help.

“Why exactly is it that you want to help us?” Matt wanted some answers before he trusted the fox, but he approached him with a friendly tone.

“You all look very tired. Why don’t we rest and eat and I’ll explain everything.” Without a response, the fox turned and headed into the woods.

Kouji looked at Matt, who looked back at him. Matt shrugged and followed the fox before they lost him.

“I am kind of hungry…” Agumon shared glances with Gabumon, and they agreed the fox seemed trustworthy enough in exchange for some rest and food. They both trotted off after Matt, leaving Kouji to himself.

He took a moment to think to himself and came up with a decision he thought was the best for the safety of everyone else.

“I guess I have to follow them.” He sighed, talking to himself.

XxXxXxX

“Here we are.”

The fox stepped out into a little clearing in the woods. The scene was absolutely beautiful for such a small space. A crystal pond sat to the right, lined with silver rocks and tiny lily pads. Cattails sprung up from the pond, accented by tall, elegant, water grasses and ferns. To the left was a convenient, lush, grassy space for staying the night or resting up from the journey. The air was nice and cool, not too humid nor too damp and wet. The trees looming above provided protection from the blazing sun, and the water gave off a cool mist. The sun was just now starting to go down, which added to the coolness.

The group entered the clearing and were awestruck by the sight.

“Wow, how pretty.” Matt stated to himself.

Gabumon’s eyes lit up as he saw an opportunity to sleep.

“Great…” Kouji muttered under his breath.

“You stay here while I go fetch us something to eat.” The fox was gone before anyone could turn their eyes from the scenery to face him.

After a moment’s silence, Kouji spoke up.

“I don’t trust him.”

Matt followed Agumon and Gabumon to the water and took a seat by the pond’s edge.

“What’s wrong with you? He’s only trying to help. What could he possibly do to us anyway? He’s outnumbered if he tried to ambush us.” Matt was beginning to dislike Kouji, “What’s wrong with you and people helping you? When you were fighting in the real world, you didn’t want help, and now you don’t want help.”

“I don’t need help.” Kouji retorted.

“Fine, whatever. Have it your way, but Agumon and Gabumon need rest and food. I’m not going to let them suffer because of your selfishness.”

Kouji brushed off Matt’s insults and said nothing more as the fox had returned almost as fast as he had left.

The small animal came out of the forest rump first and was dragging a giant leaf-like plant piled with various fruits of different shapes, colors, and sizes. None of them resembled apples or oranges in any way, but Matt’s belly was beginning to growl and he felt as if he would eat anything. The bright colors were inviting enough as it was.

“Here you are.”

The fox drug the leaf over to the water for the group. He took a seat next to Matt as the Digimon tackled and inhaled the food. Matt managed to snatch a weird one shaped like a large, blue jelly bean before they were all gone. It looked extremely juicy and it was almost squishy like it was filled with water, but when he took a bite, it was like a pear, but much sweeter.

The fox smiled seeing Agumon and Gabumon. He was glad he could help.

“So,” He turned his attention back to Matt, “I don’t think we got to introduce ourselves.”

“Oh, ya. My name’s Matt.” Matt gave him a warm smile and held out his free hand.

The fox blinked in confusion.

Matt looked down at the animal’s paws and brought his hand behind his head, smiling sheepishly.

“I always like to help someone in need. I feel it’s my duty out here in the woods. This is my terrain after all and if a Digimon needs me, I like to help. Are you Digimon? I’ve never seen you around before.”

“No, we’re not Digimon,” Matt swallowed, “We’re called humans. We live in the Real World.” He continued eating.

“Oh, I’ve heard of you before. Astamon is keeping one of your kind captive in his castle, isn’t he?” Fangmon looked worried, “Maybe I can help in some way? Your leader over there doesn’t seem to want to help.”

“Oh, he’s like that.”

“I don’t think he likes me. People automatically think since I have big claws and teeth that I’m an evil Digimon, but all I want to do is help. You trust me, don’t you?”

“Of course I do,” Matt finished his fruit and turned to his new friend, “Kouji just has a hard time trusting people, I guess. It’s nothing personal against you, I don’t think.”

Fangmon sniffed the air as he shivered slightly. His fur ruffled up and he shook off the cold.

“The sun is setting. Maybe you should stay here for the night and rest up for your long journey. I know what it’s like to travel a long way with no rest. It’s not good for the paws.” Fangmon held up a damaged paw that looked to have been caught in a trap of some kind.

“We don’t have time to stay here,” Kouji looked across the pond at the two, “We have something we need to do and we can’t just wait around for you to kill us.”

Fangmon looked offended by Kouji’s hurtful words.

“Kouji,” Matt glared at him, “He hasn’t been anything but nice to us and you should be a bit nicer to him for even wanting to help us.”

“Alright,” Kouji returned his gaze to the water, “but don’t blame me when he eats you alive.”

“Well, that’s not a good enough reason to hate him,” Matt sighed, “At least pretend to like him.”

XxXxXxX

“This group is as gullible as a pack of pups. They’ll go for anything!” Fangmon rummaged through the forest floor, “Except that Kouji kid. Why is he so suspicious?”

The fox picked a giant leave and inspected it carefully. He nodded and placed it across his back. He continued looking for more like it to serve as good sleeping mats.

“He’s becoming a disruption to my plan. Why won’t he take my bait?”

XxXxXxX

The fox returned once again with a stack of humongous, thick leaves and laid them out on the ground.

“These are excellent for sleeping on. They’re the most durable, softest leaves in all of DigiWorld.”

Agumon and Gabumon were nodding off by the water and were eternally grateful for something other than the ground for sleeping on. They curled up on their own little leaves and were dead asleep within seconds.

“Well, Come to bed whenever you’re tired, you two.” Fangmon yawned and joined the other sleeping Digimon.

“Oh…ok.” Fangmon watched as Matt left the group and walked into the woods, leaving Fangmon alone with Kouji.

XxXxXxX

Why is he like this?

Matt walked slowly through the woods. He needed to be alone for a while, and all the arguing was giving him a headache. He needed to think.

Matt took in all the familiar sights of the Digital World. He hadn’t been there since Davis and them were chosen to save the DigiWorld, and he had begun to miss the place. So many memories were here in this world. So many good times were spent right here in this Digital place. He remembered them all, good and bad. They were all very important to him since not everyone has the chance to visit the DigiWorld. He felt this was his second home, and he felt as comfortable here as he did in his own house.

Matt sighed.

The only thing missing now was Tai.

Where are you, Tai?

Matt felt so helpless. How were they supposed to know where this castle was anyway? What if they went the wrong way and were already off to a bad start? It would take forever to find the place, and who knows what could happen? Astamon might decide to kill him right now, or, maybe, he was already dead.

Matt felt tears well up in his eyes, but he refused to cry. Not now. He had to be strong, he had to pull himself together. Since when did Matt Ishida cry? He was always the one to hide his emotions, and he felt he had to be strong for everyone else. He was the responsible one and it was his job to direct everyone in the right direction.

He wasn’t doing his job. He had no clue where to go. He can’t keep the group together. It was already falling apart, and they haven’t even spent one day here. Is it his fault? What was he doing wrong? Maybe Fangmon was a bad guy after all. How was he supposed to tell? He’s willing to help with food and rest, but was it all real? Was he being sincere about wanting to help find Tai?

Everything comes back to finding Tai. That’s the only reason Matt was here. He needed to find his best friend. Matt and Tai were partners. They’ve always been together. Ever since they first met, they’ve fought side by side, and they’ve always won. Matt wasn’t anything without Tai. Saving the world wasn’t possible without him. Matt’s crest of Friendship was nothing without his friend.

Matt gripped the pendant around his neck tightly.

“I’ll find him even if I have to do it myself.”

The sound of wood on bone broke Matt’s thought trance. He stopped dead in his tracks and looked behind him towards where he had left the group.